Traveling toy



J. TORRES-GARCIA.

TRAVELING TOY.

APPLICATION FILED ram/1a, I921. 1,427,657, Patented Aug.'29, 1922.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Parana caries.

JOACHIIVI TORRES-GARCIA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRAVELING TGY.

Application filed May 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOAGI-IIM Tonnns- GAROIA, a citizen of the Republic of Uruguay, residing at New York, N. 1 United States of America, have invented. new and useful Improvements in Traveling Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to improvements in traveling toys, the object of the inventi n being to provide an improved device which may be applied to hobby horses, teeters nd similar toysby means of which, in addition to the usual'rocking motion, they are caused to progress in one direction, and which device is extremely simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and highly effi cient in operation.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the .claims. y

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,

Figure l is a perspective view of one form of toy embodying the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, on a smaller scale.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In the form illustrated in the drawings, the invention is applied to a supporting frame 2 provided with a seat 3and legs 4;, to the lower ends of which are secured a pair of rockers 5. The particular form of support is, of course, immaterial, and it will readily be understood that any suitable body may be substituted for the frame herein illustrated, to suit the fancy of the purchaser, without in the least affecting the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the present instance, the supporting body or frame is provided with a pair of perforated lugs or ears 6, between which is pivoted a depending member or lever 7 carrying at its lower end a transverse'flooi engaging member 8. As shown in the drawings, each of the rockers 5 is provided approximately midway of its length with a recess 9 opening towards the floor, and the ends of the member 8 extend into said recesses, the vertical walls of which serve to Specification of Letters Patented Aug. 29

1921. Serial No. 459,087.

limit the swinging movement of the lever T on its pivot.

The feature of the present invention which I regard as of the greatest importance is that the length of the lever must be such that the distance between the pivotal point of the lever 7 and the floor-engaging surface of the member 8 is slightly greater than the vertical distance from said pivotal point to the floor.

The operation of the device is as follows, starting from the position shown in Fig. 2. Upon rocking forward, the weight of the operator is first transferred from the rear portions of the rockers to the member 8 and then to the front portions of the rockers. As soon as the center of gravity has been thrown sufiiciently far forward, the lever 7 swings on its pivot until the ends of the fioohengaging member come into contact with the front walls of the recesses 9 in the rockers. Upon reversing the rocking motion, the rear portion of the member 8 immediately engages the floor, thereby preventing swinging of the lever while the continued backward rocking brings the rear walls of the recesses 9 into engagement with the rear side of the member 8, as shown in Fig. 2, about the same time that the rear portions of the rockers engage the floor.

The action of the lever above described is facilitated by forming the member 8 somewhat wedge-shaped in cross-section, so that when in the starting position shown in Fig. 2, the lower front portion of said member is somewhat above the floor, thus enabling it to swing freely as soon as the weight is transferred to the front portions of the rockers, and, on the other hand, ust as soon as the rocking action is reversedthe rear portion of the member 8 engages the floor and receives the weight, thereby preventing the free swinging of the lever and causing it to throw the device bodily forward just prior to engagement of the floor by the rear portions of the rockers. It will thus be seen that the action of the lever '7' is a combination pendulum-lever action.

I am aware that numerous devieeshave been proposed for producing a forward propulsion of a toy similar to that described, but many of these structures comprise complicated mechanisms, while others employ springs and similar devices. The present invention, however, is extremely simple as compared with any of those devices, there being no springs or other mechanism whatever to get out of order.

While I have described in detail the struc ture herein illustrated it is to be understood that I do not thereby limit my invention to the precise features of construction shown, as I am aware that many mechanical changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A traveling toy, comprising a body provided with rockers, a depending member pivoted to said body between said rockers and normally occupying'a position at one side of its pivotal point, the member being adapted to swing to the opposite side of said pivotal point when the body is rocked in one direction, and means carried by the depending member and adapted to engage the rockers for limiting said swinging movement, said means being also adapted to engage the floor on the reversal of the rocking movement of the body.

2. A traveling toy comprising a body pro vided with rockers, each having midway of its length a recess opening toward the floor, a depending lever pivoted to said body between said rockers, and a transverse floorengaging member carried by said lever and having its ends projecting into said recesses, said lever normally occupying a posit-ion at one side of its pivotal point and adapted to swing to the opposite side of said. pivotal point when the body is rocked in one direction, said floor engaging member being wedge-shaped in cross section, thereby to engage the floor when the body is rocked in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

J OACHIM TORRES-GARCIA. 

